In a split-second decision, a Winnipeg police officer said he made eye contact with a teen driving a stolen Jeep and fired his gun two times – striking and fatally wounding Eishia Hudson. Manitoba’s police watchdog has determined the officer will not face any charges.
The details of the deadly shooting have been revealed in a final report released Thursday by the Independent Investigation Unit (IIU).
An alleged theft from a Liquor Mart in Sage Creek quickly escalated on the evening of April 8, 2020, when multiple suspects, who police said were driving a stolen vehicle, attempted to escape from pursuing officers – leading them on a destructive chase that ended at Lagimodiere Boulevard and Fermor Avenue when an officer fired his gun two times at the driver.
The driver – who was later identified as Hudson – was taken to hospital where she died of her injuries.
“I want her name to be known out there,” Hudson’s father William said during a news conference with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs hours after the report was released.
William said he remembers his daughter’s smile – one that could light up the room. Hudson was 16 years old when she was shot and killed.
“When a cop pulls out his gun, think twice about what you are doing. This has to stop. In Canada, in Manitoba, in law enforcement.”
